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One day last week we took a wee ride; after putting the top on the car 🙂

This was the most darling yard in Ouray, Colorado. I just had to take a photo to share it with you.

As everyone knows, not only is the west burning, we are also in the midst of a terrible drought. Water has been extremely short this year; areas in the up-country (Cedaredge and the North Fork truly suffering for water.)

Here on the farm, we have made due with 60% or less of our allotment (we have shares of Uncompaghre Valley Water).

The horror stories of the shrinking of our dams prompted us to drive up and see…Blue Mesa is extremely low…extremely

Ridgway Dam so low the boat unloading and loading dock is wayyyyy up there.

Everyone is saying if it doesn’t snow this winter…and snow LOTS! In feet of snow…there will be no farming next year.

Like this:

Terry’s family had a family reunion at Ouray, Colorado starting Friday night and ending today. We went up for Friday night. Ouray is just an hour and a half from here, a short drive.

While up there we got to go in and have a very brief tour of the Beaumont Hotel...I must say that it appealed to my sense of historical interest.

If you ever get a chance to go to Ouray and you love old things please try to spend a night there. If you don’t like historical things The Ouray Victorian Inn is a great place to stay also. Those folks are very nice and the Inn is even dog friendly. The complimentary breakfast is served on real dishes with behind the counter waiters. I very much recommend this Inn as a place to stay.

I have been a little behind on getting all my comments answered. Please forgive me, my life has been extremely over-whelming lately, but I hope to get back to a comfortable routine. As I get older I realize that routines are not dull and boring, but nice…they help keep a person steady and keep everything going forward.

Today, Sunday, is seeing the last of our consistent monsoonal thunder and lightening storms. We will start to move out of this tiny little monsoon toward hot August weather.

Terry got the alfalfa cut last night to start drying. I always know we are in the middle of summer when that happens. If the heat stays and a small drying wind springs up, by Thursday we should have the hay baled and hauled in. The weatherman says we should be in good form for another round of nice rich hay. Magic thoughts that he is right!

The third and last cutting of alfalfa should be around the first of September, in 6 weeks.

Like this:

I loved the Quaking Aspen trees….my maternal grandfather and grandmother (Bill and Ruth Thomas) would take my brother and I camping and fishing – sometimes even for a weekend — on Grand Mesa. He loved the Quaking Aspen trees and would always say he wanted to buried in a pine box with a Quaking Aspen for a tombstone and wildflowers all over his grave.

I love those trees also, more than likely it was his love of the trees that gave me my love of them — grandparents give so many things to their grandchildren don’t they? And the things they give are never with strings attached.

Anyway, as soon as we get the water set we are off to Imogene Pass—this is a old, old pass between Ouray and Telluride (To Hell You Ride) for a little day of four-wheeling.

I will be taking you with us…so off I go now to get ready. The lunch is packed and so is the pick-up!

By 7:30 in the morning we were headed to Ouray, Colorado, to watch the Hard Rock Drilling Contest.

Ouray was first known for all of it mining, way back when, and that mining was for gold and silver. Hard Rock Mining. As far as I know there is no coal in ‘them thar hills’.

Today there are very few mines operating….although, there is still ‘lots of gold’ in the mountains surrounding Ouray. Mostly Ouray is now a wonderful place to visit, hot springs, good food, and outstanding scenery.

The drillers come from all over.

Yesterday, was the second day of the contest, we didn’t stay for every thing since we had been invited to our daughter and son-in-law’s place that evening for a yummy supper.

The above photo is of the bootleg jack contest

The last contest we got to watch was the mucking machine

This guy was so sure and steady that his dirt never spilled out of the cart and he filled it in record time.

Cliff got a smoker for his birthday this year. He invited us down to each smoked BBQ Pulled Pork and Turkey. Chef Cliff did a great job!

Starting in Ouray, Colorado ( I took 239 photos, but you will only see a few of them, around 14) In the beginning Telluride was called To Hell You Ride, from this pass you can see why.

The way is narrow and steep

With a few four-wheeled drive vehicles, nothing like the Telluride side.

For some reason the flys were thick

This part of the road is pure rock

That is an old Miner’s house

We are headed to the top of Imogene at this point

Almost there! I always feel like I can truly say I am in the middle of the Rocky Mountains when I get here. Nothing but peaks and peaks of other mountains.

Looking down on Red Mountain. The major highway from Ouray to Durango goes through these mountains. Million Dollar Highway, Red Mountain, Molas, and Coalbank, all big passes and beautiful and dangerous in the winter.

The TOP! Elevation 13,114 feet

Starting down into Telluride

Down is always worse than up. No I do NOT do any of the driving!!!

We started to meet lots of people on this road. See the ski slope way over there?

I’ll post about the Tom Boy Mine next time. We are almost down at this point.

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Life on a Colorado Farm

My name is Linda Brown. I live on a farm on the western slope of Colorado, in the high mountain desert. I’ve lived here all my life, hailing back four generations on my father’s side. Today I blog about our farm, the everyday activities that keep the farm going. I also write about my thoughts and dreams and goals. On Friday’s I always write about our two farm dogs (Fuzzy (now over the rainbow bridge) and Boomer) and their take of their life on our farm.
The lovely thing about blogging it opens the world up for all of us to reach out and meet people from many different cultures and different ways of life. You can find me every day (but Saturday) at https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
Your Friend on a Western Colorado Farm,
Linda Brown